Energy Alternatives

[ArmySGT.]

I don't understand the dislike for fusion powered vehicles. In an interview with Kevin Dockery, questions were asked about the original play tests. Kevin's response was the game turned into a quest for fuel, meaning that despite whatever the PD planned the Team spent more time looking for fuel than the mission objectives.

I leave it along with the 20 year supply. I limit the out put in two ways. One the wattage output and two the power points that can connect to the reactor.

So there is two external 240 volt plugs, four 110 external volt plugs, and two internal 110 volt plugs. The output is limited to that of tactical 40KW genset.

The fusion powered vehicle is one of the advantages or tools in the tool bag for a Morrow Team out there on their own in the aftermath. The fusion power / electric motor is one thing that frees them up from a broken infrastructure and using a resource better suited to rebuilding a broken utility system.

[mmartin798]

I too like the fusion power. But doing the math and coming up with the need for about 18 liters of compressed deuterium to supply a reactor for 18 months of full power output, I found the 20 years to be a bit on the high side. That is why I end up with about 3 years in my game. That 18 liters at about 30% duty cycle would last that long and give more internal space for other equipment from the smaller fuel tank. Plus as I postulated in another thread, this makes the tank able to be the size of a scuba tank. In field refueling would be only slightly more complicated than swapping an LP tank.

Also don't forget how big a target gets painted on the team once it is known they have abundant power in that armored car.

[kato13]

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

I don't understand the dislike for fusion powered vehicles.

I like fusion to be part of the game as well, but the physics of a fusion generator small enough to fit on a dune buggy struck me as a 100+ year advance in many technologies.

As mentioned in the other fusion thread, you have issues with shielding, heat transfer, waste products, fuel, etc.

Just as if any of us went back to 100 AD (in Europe) we could probably make gunpowder and some sort of projectile weapons, but we could not move materials technology forward fast-enough that we could make an H&K G-11. There are just too many dependent technologies. Even if we took one back for analysis or copying it just could not be done.

That is why I put fusion in a larger package. It represents the projects best attempts to reproduce something Bruce either stole or knew the functional parameters for, but does not match it in terms of size or efficiency.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by kato13

That is why I put fusion in a larger package. It represents the projects best attempts to reproduce something Bruce either stole or knew the functional parameters for, but does not match it in terms of size or efficiency.

Per Canon, Bruce carried one back from the fusion. Thus reverse engineering took place to make many, many more. Bruce also appears in other games by Tucholka and Sadler so he can traverse dimension too.

[stormlion1]

I always figured the Fusion Power Source sat inside the where the original fuel tank had been located and while small, the rest of the space was filled in with shielding and other things needed to keep it safe. Refueling was as simple as plugging it in somewhere the job would be done. I also figured this also worked as a bit of a leash as well, a team going rogue had a fuel based leash meaning there gear would run out and the threat of a rogue team evaporates. The same for any vehicles captured by Krell or others. They can capture equipment but eventually its a unusable piece of hardware without power.

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by stormlion1

I also figured this also worked as a bit of a leash as well, a team going rogue had a fuel based leash meaning there gear would run out and the threat of a rogue team evaporates.

Rogue Morrow teams are smart. They would realize that happy fun time stops with no readily available energy. So they build some: wind farms, bio-deisel, etc. The reactor fuel will run out, but it is more a timer than a leash.

[stormlion1]

Very true, but all those don't compare to fusion and converting a fusion powered vehicle to a bio-diesel won't be all that easy. At least not without a really good garage. Something there isn't a whole lot of 150 years after the bombs.